By now you've probably heard of Sheldon Adelson, the GOP megadonor who at first backed Newt Gingrich but now may be readying to pony up as much as $100 million to defeat President Obama.
Discussion about Adelson's motivation for backing the Republican Party usually rotates around two things: his support for Israel's government and his opposition to labor unions. But a new investigation finds that there may be a third motivation: saving himself from a Department of Justice investigation.
PBS Frontline and ProPublica have found that Nevada and federal investigators are looking into Adelson's extensive casino business in Macau. Included among the investigation are possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which Adelson may have run afoul of by directing legal fees payments to a Macau legislator.
"[Adelson] is the guy at the heart of this mess in Macau, and the federal investigation into it," mused msnbc host Rachel Maddow. "If you were that guy...how much would it be worth it to you to get a brand new Justice Department installed in Washington?"